Use Your Stash Challenge - 2015 Archives

Posted on April 7, 2015 by Karen Stewart

Quilting!

Spring comes with a rush and with it the days fly by. It has been weeks since I have posted on the blog. I’ve not quite creating. It has been overwhelming lately with so much to do and time seems much shorter these days.

I have started this log cabin quilt after finishing Â the quilt from the quilt class. This quilt is using a jelly roll of coordinating fabrics.

It is going together easily. The quilt from quilt class is finished and looks great on our bed. This is number 33 in the Use My Stash Challenge!

Here it is quilted, bound, washed and dried to get the lovely puckery look of a quilt. It was easier to sew than I thought it would be and I learned so much. I am taking another quilting class next week. I haven’t bought my fabrics yet and I can’t find out any information about the block sizes so I can use my scraps. This might be a fabric shopping situation.

Here is the quilt I will be starting next week, or at least one in the same pattern.

Posted on February 3, 2015 by Karen Stewart

Use Your Stash Challenge-2015 Numbers 8-13

It has been a really busy week, I have been working on the Use Your Stash Challenge-2015! I have gotten several projects done and I might even be out of the single digits.

#8 I have finished this scarf/shawl combo.#9 I made four of these for a friend. Since they used stash yarns I am counting them as one item.

#10 This crib springs recycle to wall storage. I know it looks half finished but it is ready to hang and painted bronze.

#11 I finished this baby blanket.Â #12 I also sewed up about 20 cup cozies but I am only counting them as one. I have tons to sew that are already cut out. I am going to call a group of 20 cup cozies as one item for the challenge. I will get them all sewn that way and I won’t have them sitting around as WIPS. Here they are at the half way point.

#13 I also sewed some child sized reversible superhero capes. These two are blue and silver. I have a ton more to sew and it is just a matter of time to sew and the willpower to see it through.

This is what is next on my list of things to do.

Â Baby bibs: 6 done, 2 in the photo and 1 in the mail and 3 others.

Â Baby blankets ready to iron and do the top stitching: 3 sewn and complete, 1 left

Â Finish quilting the striped quilt!
Â Put the binding on the stripe quilt
Â Cut out and sew Â more super hero capes
Â Sew cup cozies that take red thread
~~Â Deconstruct some jeans so they are ready for cutting.~~
~~Â Pack some orders~~
Clean the studio

I have some fun things planned this weekend and the weather is promising to be rainy. This is good, it will encourage me to get some serious sewing done. I have so much to do. I will need to get some more navy thread, but I can sew with other colors until I get a chance to pick some up.

This year the Use Your Stash Challenge seems to be more about finishing what I have started. I like it. It is encouraging me to actually complete some things that have been hanging around for ages. I hope I can keep up the momentum and my mojo for getting things done. Â I have some custom orders that are in different stages of waiting so I must get back to work.

Talk to you later,

Karen

Posted on January 30, 2015 by Karen Stewart

10 Stash Busting Links to Read

I feel like I have a super slow start to the Use Your Stash Challenge – 2015. I needed some inspiration and I found these lovely links to challenge and encourage me to keep going. My stash just seems to keep growing and growing. I have completed some bit fabric and yarn busting projects but I need something for the little bits of yarn and little bits of fabric. This list is a great place to start when it comes to stash busting those little pieces of fabric and yarn.

1.A great stash busting article from Quilting daily!

2. This lovely blanket from Spincushions

10 Stash busting links — http://spincushions.com/ive-been-stash-busting/

3. Yarn Stash busting idea round up by Making it Home!

3. The cutest toddler sweater by Tricksy Knitter that I have ever seen!

4. A paper embellishments stash busting e-course from A Beautiful Mess Shop

5. Crazy Mom Quilts has some great fabric scrap busting ideas.

She has some great ideas so check out the rest of her blog. Here is another post full of wonderful scrap ideas. I really fell down the rabbit hole in her blog there are so many great ideas and I love her use of color!

6. This Groovy Gahn by JustbecauseIcan on Ravelry would be a great scrap blanket.

7. Â Then there is this beautiful woven fabric basket from MarshmallowsandPickles.

8. For the Knitters…I love this blanket. It is superb. The colors, the pattern, I just like everything about it! It is fromÂ https://cauchycomplete.wordpress.com.

9. Â For the Crocheters, there is this option! It is from Dream a little bigger.

10. A great stash busting quilt is the ticker tape quilt. There are so many options out there. I simply went to Pinterest and searched for ticker tape sewing and came up with so many different options. Here is a great ticker tape style doll quilt. This one is from Teaginnydesigns. She got the pattern from Amanda Jean Nyborg at crazymomquilts.

There 10 great stash busting projects to give you some inspiration for the Using Your Stash Challenge – 2015!

I am not sure what I am going to do right now. I have some blah projects to work on but they aren’t as beautiful as these stash projects. So, I am torn, should I start a new stash busting project or simply use the larger pieces of fabric for the more routine sewing.

Do you have any advice? I sure would love to hear it!

Do you have any stash busting projects or links to share with me? I would also love to see those!

Talk to you later,

Karen

Posted on January 14, 2015 by Karen Stewart

Burlap Dry Erase board – Use Your Stash Challenge – 2015 #1

I have finished a couple of Use Your Stash projects and here is number: 1 a burlap dry erase board! Remember when I was washing burlap. Â It looked like this in the washer. I washed it three times.

The lint was incredible for all three loads. I thought that the amount of lint would decrease. It didn’t, I think the burlap bags were so old that they were disintegrating in the wash cycle.

The bags did lose a lot of dust and dirt along with all the lint. I checked the lint trap twice during each load. I was scared that I was going to set the dryer on fired with all the extra lint.
I had seen great burlap dry erase boards on Pinterest.Â I like all the texture that burlapÂ dry erase boards have. I had an old inspirational photo in a pretty nice frame that we have had for years. The photo had something to do with diligence or hard work or something like that. I took the poster out and added the burlap. I glued the burlap down around the edges with something rather like tacky glue. I pushed the staples back down to hold all the cardboard, burlap and glass in. Then I glued brown paper across the back like a framing store does. It keeps it looking neat on the back.You can see the red and green stripes from the original burlap bag. So, this is my first stash project in the Use Your Stash – 2015. I am excited and it looks great! It didn’t cost a penny – if you don’t count all the energy used to wash and dry the burlap sacks. We will probably use this for messages, grocery lists, and reminders. It appears to be infinitely useful. It will probably hang in the laundry room. I am trying to get that room more organized and decorated.

talk to you later,

Karen

You can read my Use Your Stash Challenge – 2015 rules here.